Protecting yourself from Lethifolds
by awakeatnight
Summary: And they lay there like that, in that frozen moment in time that could mean everything and nothing, shared breaths coming at the same slightly quickened pace. Amber eyes meet grey, each boy gauging the other, toeing the line that's always been there, the line between friendship and something more, the line that can never be un-crossed.


**FYI before you start, this is slash, in case you haven't figured that out, not graphic but slash just the same. So, you have been properly warned. If this is not a problem, proceed. :)**

* * *

The sound of feet plodding across the dormitory floor is the only warning Remus gets before an icy blast of night air hits his warm body, just long enough for someone else to slip under the covers. He smiles into the darkness as a cold body presses against his, nudging him over until he relents and makes room for the intruder. Remus graciously scoots his pillow over so they can share and he can feel it on his side as the other boy's head impacts the soft down.

"Thanks." comes the whisper from inches away. Remus just nods, but he knows Sirius can feel it on his half of the pillow.

Remus waits but Sirius offers no explanation, so after a minute of silence, he breaks the still air with a soft whisper, just like always, soft whispers on dark, cold nights.

"What's wrong Padfoot?"

"Lethifolds." He whispers confidentially. Shoulders brushing as he lets out a big sigh.

Amused, Remus props himself up on his elbows to squint down at Sirius in the dark. "Lethifolds?" he repeats, a laugh in his question.

"Lethifolds." Sirius confirms with a grave nod of his head. He seems content at leaving it at that so Remus nudges him with his hip, a little, a silent demand for a proper explanation. Sirius rolls onto his side so he's no longer staring at the hangings above Remus' bed, but instead at the boy next to him.

"Sorry." he says, but he doesn't sound particularly repentant, "It's just that sometimes, when I'm in bed by myself, and perfectly ready to fall asleep, my brain decides to pipe up and be like "Hey Sirius, you know what we haven't thought about in a while? Creatures that can smother you to death in your sleep."" Sirius glances up and offers him a sheepish smile.

Remus looks at him and laughs. "You realize that now the lethifold will kill the both of us, right?"

A wide lopsided grin graces Sirius' lips and Remus can feel his warm breath wash across his cheek as he talks. "Well no, that's the point of me coming here." Toes that feel like ice press into his warm calves, legs slightly entangled. "Now I've got a fifty-fifty shot of it attacking you first. And you're, you know, a big, strong werewolf and all, so put up a little bit of a fight to warn me alright?"

Sirius grins and Remus tries to look affronted but only barely manages to stifle his chuckle. Sirius pushes at Remus' chest just a little, enough that Remus could have fought it if he had wanted to, but he falls back on the pillow anyway.

Sirius is still lying on his side, propped up on one elbow, and normally Remus would have shoved him back, knocking him over too, but the air around them changes as Sirius' hand lingers on the other boy's chest still, seemingly of its own volition. And they lay there like that, in that frozen moment in time that could mean everything and nothing, shared breaths coming at the same slightly quickened pace. Amber eyes meet grey, each boy gauging the other, toeing the line that's always been there, the line between friendship and something more, the line that can never be un-crossed.

Sirius has always been the impulsive one, so it's no surprise that he makes the first move, but its slow, slow, agonizingly slow, eyes locked on Remus' as his face leans in the couple inches that separate them. But he's unsure and it's such a misplaced expression on the aristocratic features, that Remus tilts his chin up, just a little, reassuring that he wants this too, god does he want this. Sirius' mouth quirks at the corner just slightly, and Remus' does too in response, because ever-confident Sirius is familiar territory.

But he's left no time to dwell on it as soft lips brush against his, slow and tentative, and he's sure Sirius can feel his heart pounding against his ribcage. Calloused fingers come up to run along his jaw, and his trace up Sirius' back, gently guiding him closer, closer, until Sirius is all but on top of him, hair tickling the sides of his face.

And it's no longer hesitant and testing as their lips move more frenzied across each other, and Sirius traces his bottom lip with his tongue, begging for entrance that Remus eagerly gives. It's not perfect, noses and teeth clashing a little, but the pent up desire and longing that is finally being released is so overwhelming and heart-pounding that neither boy really notice.

And just as Remus is sure he's about to explode from lack of oxygen, Sirius pulls back, both boys gasping for air, chests rising and falling against each other. Sirius rolls onto his back so that he is lying beside Remus once again, both boys staring unseeingly at the hangings above Remus' bed, hearts hammering in their ears, but their labored breathing the only noise in the still night air.

Sirius is the first to break the silence, because he's Sirius and talking is his first resort when he's nervous.

"So….you'll save me from the lethifolds then, yeah?"

And Remus can't help but start laughing and whether it's from the intense giddiness that's come over him, or the absurdity of the statement, he's not sure. Perhaps a little of both. And Sirius seems relieved and joins him, and they try, unsuccessfully, to keep quiet. And in that moment Remus has never been more thankful that James and Peter sleep like the dead.

"That's the only reason you came over here then, so that the lethifold would kill me first?" and try as he might Remus can't keep the smile out of his voice. With an answering grin, Sirius nestles against Remus, his black hair splaying across Remus' chest, the steadily slowing bah-dum, bah-dum, bah-dum of Remus' heart in his ear.

"Course it is, you think I'm some kind of nancy boy? I've got this all planned out."

But Remus can feel Sirius smiling as his arm snakes across Remus' stomach, cold fingers intertwining with warm ones, a small reassuring squeeze.

Remus chuckles a little "Whatever you say Padfoot." But his arm is wrapping around the other boy's shoulders, pulling him closer until all he can smell is Sirius' shampoo, his lips pressing gently against the top of his head, lingering there for just a moment, Sirius humming in sleepy approval.

* * *

Two weeks later they are sitting in the common room by the fire: Sirius lounging on a couch and Remus beside him reading; a platonic distance between the two except for Remus' ankle casually brushing against Sirius'. James is lying on the floor, books scattered around him, furiously scribbling across a length of parchment.

"Just…two…more…inches." He intones over the scratching of the quill.

"I don't know why you even bothered taking Care of Magical Creatures this year, James, none of the rest of us are." Sirius said as he vaguely studies the common room, people aimlessly milling about.

"You can't think of a single reason, Sirius?" Remus asks beside him, looking up from his book with a small smirk.

Sirius grins. "Come to think of it, I can think of one reason and, ironically, it has red hair and hates his guts."

James glares up at the two of them, but makes no response, turning back to the essay he had yet to finish. Minutes pass as James reads through what he does have finished, before he addresses Remus.

"You don't happen to know the best way to protect yourself against a lethifold, do you Moony?"

But it's Sirius, with a slight grin, who supplies the answer.

"A werewolf; the answer is definitely a werewolf, Prongs."

And Remus pokes him in the side, but he is smiling just a little nonetheless.

"Really?" James says, flipping through a book, missing the entire exchange, "because I'm pretty sure I read it was a Patronus."

"Nope, trust me on this one mate. You definitely want a werewolf around if you're going to be running into any lethifolds." James shrugs and closes his book.

"Good enough for me, werewolves it is." And as he's writing the last bit of his paper, he misses the brief squeeze Sirius gives Remus' hand, or the way Remus' cheeks turn slightly pink in the dull light of the dying common room fire.

* * *

**Alrighty, my first slash posted. If you have a sec to offer me your thoughts on it I will probably add you to my list of people who I'm eternally grateful to...and you know, eternity is an awful long time. :)**


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